NOVEMBER 4, 1854.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20076, 4 November 1930, Page 14

NOVEMBER 4, 1854.

AN HISTORIC GATHERING. CANTERBURY FORMS A JOCKEY CLUB. (BSECIAt,Ur WBITTEJJ »OS THE PAlitxi.) [BT HUGH M. RKEVBS.J In the early days of Canterbury it was the custom to hold a Farmers' Market in that part of Christehureh then called Market Square. I remember Market Square in the 'eighties, when it was no longer used for its original purpose. The Fanners' Market had disappeared. It was merely a collection of rough booths whoso occupants earned a precarious living by underselling the regular shops nearer the centre of the City, and dealing in rubbish —a sort of Paddy's Market. Ultimately the City Council abolished it. They replaced it with lawns and flower-beds, and renamed the sito Victoria Square. In the 'fifties Market Square served a very useful purpose. Farmers met there to sell their produce, to transact other business, and to chat about their crops and herds. Nearby was an inn—the Golden Fleece. Here _ on market days farmers had their mid-day. meal, called, after the custom of their Homeland, the farmers' ordinary. I have been told that they observed a certain amount of ceremony at these ordinaries, that a chairman generally presided over them —perhaps occasionally Godley himself. Sometimes a parson did. The Golden Fleece lay at the south-eastern corner of Colombo and Armagh streets facing Cook and Ross's dispensary. It was there in the early 'nineties. Then it made way for shops. Market Day. The day is November 4th, 1854. It is market , day. The farmers' ordinary is over and the guests have returned to Market Square to finish their business. The dining-room having been tidied up becomes a meeting hall. Here presently gather some of the province's notables. They have met to consider the follow-ing-motion:—"That it is desirable a Jockey Club should be formed for the purpose of encouraging excellence in the breed of horses, promoting the adoption of fair and useful regulations for horse-racing, keeping a registry of the pedigree and performances of all racing stoek, acquiring and preparing a suitable racecourse, and superintending the details of all necessary arrangements for the above objects." Cracroft Wilson, on a preliminary visit from India, presided. One of the Wakefields, Jerninghajn, proposes the motion; Izaae Cookson, of Cookson and Bowler, .representing in Christehureh a Wellington firm, afterwards Levin and ' Co., seconds it. It is carried, and the Canterbury Jockey Club is born. John Hall proposes a committee to go into ways and means. Guise Brittan, Commissioner of Crown Lands, is appointed honorary treasurer, and Jerningham Wakefield, „ honorary secretary, and the meeting adjourns for a month. At the hext meeting the organising committee was able to show a substantial list of members, and a draft of rules and regulations. Some twenty-five members had joined, most of whom bore still-remembered names. Several left descendants who are prominent men to-day. Among them were Captain Richard Westenra, whose grandson Derrick is a steward of the club. The grandson still owns Camla, the property near Dansandel, which the grandfather took up in the 'fifties. Others'were T. Cass, the chief surveyor, who gave his name to Cass Peak in the Port Hills, and to the river Cass; John Hall,.destined to pass from provincial to general politics, and to become Prime Minister of New Zealand; the Hon. Stuart Wortley, who during a brief stay in New Zealand was a partner in Hawkeswood Station, near the Waiau; G. C. Haslewood, of Coringa, an old Australian squatter, who accidentally billed himself In 1858 while cleaning his gun; J. ; W. Mallock, of Horsley Down, Harwarden, another Indian veteran, who bred horses and raeed them on a large scale; G. W. H. Lee, a runholder in North and South Canterbury known as "Jockey" Lee because he used to ride his own racehorses; J. T. Brown, of Mount Thomas; William K. Macdonald, another largo landowner and father of R. M. Macdonald, •who was a steward of the club when he died in 1928; G. D. Lockhart, grandfather of Sir Graeme Lockhart, of Auckland; and F. G. P. Leach, landowner, livery-stable proprietor, good horseman and fine sportsman. "The Nabob," as Cracroft Wilson was called, was tho first president of the Club, Jerningham Wakefield was confirmed in the office of Honorary Secretary, and Guise Brittan, whose keen youthful relative, Frank, was to win tho first Grand National Steeplechase, romained Honorary Treasurer. The first committee comprised J. T» Brown, John Hall, G. C. Haslewood, and Captain Westenra. Now the Racecourse.

Having formed' a club, tho next #tcp was to look for a racecourse. The committee first explored a site near Heathcote, between the estuaries of the Avon ond Heathcote rivers. Brown, Wakefield, and Cass, who were deputed to inspect this locality, reported there was no large enough block available. They then looked on the other side of Christehureh and found a suitable piece of land in the neighbourhood of Trig Pole No. 2, a aurveyor's mark about six miles west of the centre of the town. This, roughly, was the site of the present Eiccarton racecourse. The Club got 300 acres here declared a reserve for racing purposes, but failed when it tried to get it made freehold. There had been racing in Canterbury before the birth of the Jockey Club. Horse races were on the programme of tho sports held to celebrate the. first anniversary of the arrival of the First Four Ships. They were run in Hagley Park North, on a course lying between the site of the present Biccarton Hotel and the river where the Fendalton bridge now stands. The Park

was then all in tussock, and no attempt waa made to form a track. Next year the organisers of the sports attempted some improvement. They cleared the tussocks from a course rather-over a mils in circumference, and appointed quailfied officials to superintend the racing. The stewards were J- C. Watts-Bussell, Jerningham Wakefield, T. Cass, A. R. Creyke, and Captain Harvey. WattsBussell had been in the Army. He was the first owner of Ham, Upper .Biccar{on then a farm, and he was then, and afterwards, partner with Creyke in several stations. He and his wife were leaders of Christchurch society. After his death she married Creyke. Harvey was a runholder; he took up a part of Alt. Thomas. Michael Burke, after whom Burke's Pass was named, was judge, and Bule clerk of the course. Rnlp we are told, appeared in the ortWox pink, and "'nearly all" the iockevs wore the proper costume. A bul-lock-dray did duty for a judge's box, and tlio grandstand consisted of rows of planks resting on own casks. An early colonist told me that a part of the stand collapsed, and the oceupants, all ladies, disappeared, head first, into the casks. The chief raec at the 1852 Meeting was the Christchurch Cup. The prize amounted to £l4 6s, of which all but six guineas the competitors subscribed. It was a htirdle race. P. G. P. Leach won it on a horse named Harkaway. In 3853 "Jockey" Lee's Tamerlane won the chief event —a flat race run in heats over about two and a quarter miles. It was called the Anniversary Plate. The Tint Meeting. As the Canterbury Jockey Club decided to hold its Meetings in the Autumn, there was no racing on Anniversary Day, 1854. On March 6th and 7th, 1855, the Club held its first race Meeting at Biccarton. The eourse was three miles round, and the prize-money £175. The stewards were J. T. Brown, Jerningham Wakefield, W, C. ITecdall, R,. L. Higgins. and G. Devon. Fendall, from whom Fendalton took its name, nltimately settled in Bangiora. Higgins camo from Australia and settled in the Cust district, where he stayed until hedied. I know nothing about Devon, j Haslewood was judge, and Bale elerk !of the course. The only race on the programme which exists to-day was the Canterbury Cup. The prize was 50 sots added to a sweepstake of 2 sovs from the owner of each starter.- The distance was two miles, in heats. "Jockey* Lee won it on Tamerlane. The other starters were Patterson's Lady Gladstone, J. W. Malloek's Crimea, and Charles Blakiston's Boomerang. Each carried 11-0, irrespective of age. Next year the Club adopted a weight-for--1 age scale known as the Lichfield Plate Weights. It may interest the sticklers for keeping the distance of the Canterbury Cup at two and a quarter miles 1 to learn that unti] 1870 it was constantly changing. As we have seen it was two miles in 1855. In 1856 there waa i no race, because there were no entries. In 1857 the distance was one and a half miles, in 1858 and 1859 two miles, $a 18C0 one and a half miles, in 1861 one and a quarter miles, in .1862 one and a half miles, and in 1863, 1864, and 1865 one and three-quarter miles. From 1866 to 1869 it was three mile?, and it was not until 1870 that it was fixed at two miles and a quarter. The prizemoney also varied. In' 1857 it ■ was down to 37 sovs, with a sweepstake of 2 sovs, and in 1858 it was 40 sovs, with a 4 sovs sweep. In 1859 it rose to 60 sovs, with a sweep of 6 sovs, but, oddly' enough, it was not by any means the I richest prize on the programme, a Maiden Stakes and the Queen's Plate, each of 100 sovs, and the Members' Plate, of 80 sovs, exceeding" it in value- In 1860 it was still "smallet beer." Whereas, it was worth only 30 sovs, with a sweep of 3 sovs, there was a Maiden Stakes of 6 sovs each, with .100 sovs added, the Challenge Cup, of 10 sovs each, with 100 sovs added, the Queen's Plate, of 5 sovs each, with 100 sovs given by the ' Provincial Council, the Members' Plate, of 80 sovs, and the Two-Year-Old Stakes, of 5 sovs each, with 50 sovs added. This was the year in which the Club instituted the Canterbury (now the New Zealand) Derby. It was for a sweep of 10 sovs each, with 100 sovs added. The Two-Year-old Stakes owed its inception to Jerningham Wakefield, Launcelot Walker, and T. W. White, both old Indian Army men, and C. G. Hodgson, each of whom contributed £lO towards the prise. As it attracted only one starter, it was not repeated. In 1861 the value of the Canterbury Cup was only 40 sovs compared with 100 soys, the value eaeh of the Derby, the Queen's Plate r and the Challenge Stakes. It rose; to 50 sovs in 1862. It was 50 sovs in 1863 when the Derby, the Maiden Stakes, and the Queen's Plate, and a new race, the Towton Cup, were worth 100 sova each. Sefton Moorhousa and S. Newton gave the prize for the Towton Cup. Apparently the race had some connexion with the stallion Towton { which Edward Moorhouse imported in 1858. Changes at Biccarton.

The year 1864 saw big ehsngea at Ricoarton. The Club had laid oat the course properly, and had built a stand to.'hold 400 people. The value of the Canterbury Cup remained 50 sovs, but thank* to private liberality there were two. new. races on the programme. The Towton Cup gave way to the Peer' Cap' of 100 sovs given by Jerningham Wakefield, doubtless' in honour of <Towton's brother, The Peer, whieh . Edward Moorhouse had brought out from England in 1859. Mr Wakefield bought him from Mr Moorhouse for 1200gns and ■later sent him to "Victoria, Where he died. The village of Peerswick, the Peerswick mill stood, was named after him. There was also the Joe JTillar Cup of 100 sovs, open to the progeny of the stallions, Joe Millar, Skeleton, Manchester, and Prince Charlie. Towton and The "Peer were particularly well-bred horses. They wore by Melbourne from Cinizelli, by Touchstone. Marchioness, their fulisister, ' won the Oaks (Epsom), and went to Australia and founded a line there. Their half-brother. The Marquis, by Stockwell, won the Two Thousand Guineas, and finished second for the Derby. ITc also went to Australia. Joe Millar, Skeleton, and Prince Charlie were of more humble origin. Joe Millar - was born in Tasmania. He was the son of imported parents, Jersey and Miss Millar. Skeleton came to Canterbury from New South Wales by way of Nelson. He was by Skeleton, an imported Irish-bred borse, who won many races in Ireland. He got remarkably good hacks and journey horses. Prince Charlie was bred in Nelson. He was by Australian Sir Hercules, who spent a few years in New Zealand at Henry Redwood's stud. He was a half-brother to Phoebe, who raced well, and bred good racehorses for Kedwood.

A "Champion" Race. If 1864 saw the Canterbury Jockey Club make progress, in 1865 it was still more vigorous. In 1864 New Zealand had combined with Australia to subsidise a race called the Champion Race. It was run over three miles, and was worth the then enormous sum of ICOO sov6. It was'run in turn at the principal racing centres of Australia and New Zealand. Duftedin had it in 1864. In 1865 it was decided in Canterbury. Some years before yet another Anglo-Indian, J. D. Lance, had settled in Canterbury. ISere hia brother, Henry Lance, had joined him. Xhey wero conenxions of J. W. Maliock, and became his partners in Horsley Down. James married Miw Malloci- Henry Lance, wh» lived and

died at Okeover, Upper BieeartotfTii % clever and successful racing thoroughly did he understand thiTi* horse and his form that for jeaxi acted as honorary handieapper to 'i Canterbury Jockey Club. " Later -he 1 came William Bobinson's rad partner, and married & Hits Belti at hi* second wife. At the jfejaH of 1865 he won six races, WfrSj the Derby and the Queen's Pl*tT*j his mares, Ladybird, 1 ought jS Henry Bedwood after she had m * previous Champion Kace, and ran respectively first and seeonjfthe Champion Bace. The Canterta Jockey Club" Handicap was iactfej in 1865. Its value was 200 sava-g it was run over one mile and • % The distance was increased to.twtf.yj in 1867. The prize money gr&dw rose, until in 1883, when the im£~| came the New Zealand Cop, it 1000 sovs. In 1865 the Cantcrbary-£ was still worth only 50 sovs. run during an "Old Man" norV*ej] which blew such clouds of dost if the newly-laid course that the race the competitors wai»~yy tinguiahable- Perhaps this gataf-® counted for Ladybird's defeat—not even placed. *gw| The success of the Champion vjj stimulated the Club to have a thfMi pound raco of its own. It thojjpi Canterbury Cnp for its purpof«g| the prise included thesweep of 50 govs for each startarlS not surprising that the £1450. Belle of the Isle, an imported horse, by Iliflemaaijt it. W. H. Harris brought oQtMtjjs 1859. Belle of the Isle 's fufl-hiS Stormbird, won the ChristchimlHj a new< weight-for-age race, xwf two miles. Their dam, &pray, J ! from New South Wales in lftftj sides Belle of the Isle and Stefc she threw Wetaail. winner af.tihft terbury Cup in 1859-1860. Belle J Isle was the mother of TenjpSjfc very popular and gallant liitlf; horse, who won many races, isjj{ the Canterbury Cup of 1878.- 8b her brother were bred by Harris,' also raced them. Harris was £ partner in Tradueer and Hemai&j bought them from Lanneelot -II on the voyage from won the first Canterbury 'BeilfS his filly, Ada, by St. Aubyn, «« lish-bred stallion, by Bay MidMj who came to New Zealand viaS South Wales in 1855. At this sdH the Jockey Club Handicap tmu| a dead-heat between Til """"|W H Barbiere and Golden C3flodL'j3| brother by Towton to ner for J. W« Malloek. of terbury Derby. Nonm»v JMHj longed to I>annoelot Wa!kJjß|§M run-off. Xn 1867, when It, the Canterbury Cap was ftjH 1000 sovs, but the Club'* -rjflH proved unequal to the rtnisiHH so mueh money for one fell to 500 aova in 1868, to aSMM 1869, and to' 250 sovs is SjjßSgffl

Tb» Traseat Ttt^jß|gj lentil 2868 the Oloh ««lkdH ing simply the Canterbury SB 1869 it ehota the pw»t JB|| Canterbury Jockey Meeting. Tho following y«HBH two Metropolitan except for the first existence it had netiii <mHß| ary or February. Nvir it mHH hold its meeting in tl» »prfagw year* ago the WiCt', llllffiM Meeting, was first fcelft'fv : J la 1867 the <2ah lifted •hip to 86. The rest, «C its raM were nubseribem with, mernbwjKs leges, skto the rightto it held a special race meeaaggHflH of the Duke of EdinburgJgSSHi visiting New Zealand at IWB|B| 1871 "ir began, to'liold a' xSHHH on Queen Victoria T a birth In 1874 this made autumn meeting, at wljjfflSß Great A\itumfc . Handicap-«B| Canterbury , Champagne ' StwH run. Tor a few ye«dr]|Hß Xieger was tried at. iMfcjsjM and then, abandoned. - AboagpfiS coarse was reduced to - it# jjpMH§ cumferenee, one and *- 1877 the railway-was Club's grounds. In 1879 Stakes was instituted. H» o was first used at the anUußuisiw 'IBBO. The investments ta*~ tjfcjg amounted to £26011 A"* teeoßy stand was built ia 1881. •TKjjM Tasmanian-bred horse, far tapowig Albans (by Blair AthajX New Zealand Cop- *»8 Wgß Plate was first iw ;J ? 1887. and the Esatcr tuted in »74. ****«• SJL Easter Handira* W I«*¥■ , ;i 1803 , the Chalkn^e tatlished u* SUt to the First ObaUenfce «■» and" was madtr * , owners and bfeedeWjwWJ*® the whole of the SMOi»W'W waa then worth." Gradual y , ditions were amended ■■M* 0 ' "j? assumed - its present, :wguj tions. In 1888 tin the -Grand National Meeting wh Grand National it instituted the Grand Baee, and in 1892 the Wngft cap, which in 1899 Cup., In 1900 camo the which' the the G. G. Stead Crola "P 1908. jfp ofiioifc -„M For the first 30 year* existence the Club had no oW* own. In its very ewly dw at Tattersall's Hotel to ?r*g Afterwards it had rooms at m Hotel, facing Oashel and. on the site now cecupied 1» Brothers. Later, it sail's. Thence it moved to?* Hotel, where it took rooxaa m-W eastern corner of the wooden g which preceded the present ta| the lato eighties it decided[ t» «J hotel life and secured Grain Agency Buildings in From there it moved to